Traveling cleaner for textile machines or the like



Oct. 10, 1950 e. B. HOLTZCLAW 2,524,797

TRAVELING CLEANER FOR TEXTILE MACHINES OR THE LIKE Filed Dec. 12, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 he I \Q I I a l f I 5 Q8 Q4 Q e4 as I I I 533 QWJHaZiwZam,

fliiuflzaeys Oct. 10, 1950 s. B. HOLTZCLAW 2,524,797

TRAVELING CLEANER FOR TEXTILE MACHINES OR THE LIKE Filed Dec. 12, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 Wove1 B.HoZizc Zatq, QyZ AdM 4M Patented Oct. 10, 1950 TRAVELING CLEANER FOB MACHINES OR THE LIKE Groves- B. Hoitaclaw, Charlotte, N. 0., amignor to Parks-Grams:-

Fi corporation Massachusetts burg, Mass a Application Dccember 12, 1941, Serial No. 1:91,:49 s (01. 15-312) This invention relates to improvements in tiavelingcleanersiortextilemachinesorthelike in which the traveling cleaner comprises a carriage having a motor and a rotatable tan mounted upon a trackway extending longitudinally above and centrally over a plurality of machines which are arranged in longitudinal alinement. Means operable by the motor are respectively provided for propelling the carriage along the trackway and for rotating the Ian. A housing which surrounds the motor is provided with outlet conduits i'or currents oi air produced by the tan arranged tr of the direction or travel of the cleaner and extending downwardly and outwardly. The end or each conduit is provided with means respectively to direct a blast of air downwardly upon the side of the machine therebeneath and to direct a blast.oi air transversely across the machines as the cleaner travels along the trackway.

In usual installations of textile machines a plurality of series of longitudinally alined machines are arranged in parallelism with the section of the trackway extending longitudinally of the machines of each series and connected to the trackway of another series by. U-shaped bends to provide a continuous trackway over all the machines.

- Groups oi. such parallel series are also arranged in longitudinal alinement with aisles between the ends ofthe respective groups through 2 blasts of air, or upon mechanism for the material being treated located closely therebeneath. For example, in ,the use of the traveling cleaner for cleaning a spinning frame blasts of air are not fully ell'ective in preventing accumulation of lint and the like upon the lower face of the creel board and upon the spools or roving located closely therebeneath and the deposition or accumulation of bunches of lint upon the roving running from said spools.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a traveling cleaner 0! the type described with a nozzle for more efleetively directing the current of air which is projected transversely across the machines at a predetermined height thereby more eflectively to prevent accumulation of lint, etc. upon such stationary parts of the machine and upon the material being treated thereby.

Another objector the invention is to provide a highly flexible nozzle or nozzles particularly that for transmitting the current of air transversely across the machine which will yield upon impingement with an obstruction in the path thereof such as the presence of an operator in the which the operatives pass i'requentLv in attending to the machines.

Typical traveling cleaning mechanism and the arrangement thereof of the character above described are disclosed in the following patents granted to William B. Hodge, Nos. 2,047,558Ju1y 14, 1936, 2,128,207 August 23, 1938, and 2,184,880 December 26, 1939, and therefore need not be illustrated and described in detail as the present invention relates only to improvements in the mechanism for directing the blastsof air delivered by the tan. In usual traveling cleaners oi the type above described the end 01' each air conduit which extends from the tan casing is pro- A vided with two preferably adjustable sleeves or nozzles one of which directs the blast of air downwardly upon the side of the machine therebeneath and the other 01' which directs the blast of air transv'erseb across the machine. Each of the sleeves or nozzles usually terminates above the too of the machine and is ineiiective in satisaisle between adjacent groups of machines thereby preventing injury to the operator.

These and other objects and features of the invention will more fully appear from the following description and the accompanying drawings and will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings as employed for cleaning a textile machine, in which, n

Fig. 1 shows an end elevation of a spinning machine and traclrway mounted thereon supporting a traveling. cleaner and illustrating the present invention asv embodied in said cleaner for directing a current or air transversely across i'actorlly preventing deposition or accumulation oi lint and the like upon rigid parts of the machines not located in the direct paths oi the the machine at a predetermined height;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view, partially in transverse vertical section, and showing in elevation a preferred form of flexible nozzle for directing the blast of airtransversely oi the machine;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on line 3-3 Fig. 2; and,

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic planview oi a. group of parallel series 0! alined machines with an endless trackway extending longitudinally over the machine and traveling cleaner mounted thereon and an aisle between aiinedgroups of machines.

The spinning machine-is et a usual character comprising end frames I having standards 2 mounted thereon supporting the usual creel boards I and with spools of roving I therebetween and posts] extending upwardly from for controlling and ammo-1 drical casing II, which encloses the fan, is provided at its upper end with a central air inlet 13 and has at its lower end downwardly and outwardly extending and downwardly converging conduits I4 and ii for conducting currents of air produced by the fan. The fan casing is also provided adiacent the carriage with outlets i8, diametrically disposed adjacent the carriage I, which are provided with adjustable dampers l'l directing downward currents of air upon the machines therebeneath.

Each of the conduits ll and il has preferably adjustably secured to its lower end a downwardly extending sleeve or nomle II for directing the blast of air therefrom downwardly upon the side of the machine therebeneath and also a downwardly extending sleeve or nozzle it for directing a current of air transversely across the machine. The conduits I! and I! are so disposed as to provide a leading and a trailing nozzle for each of the conduits l4 and I5 and the leading and trailing nozzles are reversely arranged upon the conduits I4 and II.

In the present invention either or both of the nozzles may be of highly flexible material adapted to yield upon impingement of an obstruction in the path of travel of the nozzles Preferably the nozzles III of the machine are of rigid material and terminate at such height as not to engage an obstruction such as an operator passing through the aisle betweengroups of 'machines. The nozzle it, which conducts theblast of air transversely of the machines, is of highly flexible material and extends well below the end of the nozzle l8 and is provided with an inwardly curved and preferably tapering end portion which is positioned at such predetermined height as to direct the air inwardly beneath the creel board 4 thereby to prevent accumulation of lint upon the under face of the creel board or' upon the spool of roving 5 and the strand 2' leading therefrom through the usual guide eye 2| anddrawing mechanism. to the ring rail 2'! having the usual ring and traveler for spinning and winding the strand 2' upon the bobbin ll.

Preferably the sleeve or nozzle ll comprises a cuff of suitable woven fabric which desirably is impregnated with suitable material to make it impervious to the blast of air passing therethrough and is provided with means for retaining it in expanded condition. As illustrated in Fig. 3 the end 25 of the cuff is folded around a thin ring 26 of rigid material which is permanently secured within the folds thereof. The cuff may be of any desired length to position its outlet at such predetermined height as to direct the current of air transversely across the machine closely beneath the creel board of the spinning frame, or beneath similar obstructions in other machines, thereby effectively to. preventor remove accumulation upon parts thereof which through the aisle between adjacent alined seriesof machines such as are illustrated .in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

It will be understood that the particular embodiment of the invention shown and described herein is of an illustrative character'and not restrictive and that various changes in form, construction and arrangement of parts may be made within the spirit and scope of the followin claims. I

Having thus described the invention. what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. .The combination with a traveling cleaner. for blowing lint, dust, and other foreign particles from longitudinally alined machines having a' trackway disposed above and longitudinally centrally of said machines, said cleaner having a motor driven carriage and fan with means operable by said motor for propelling the carriage alongthe trackway and for rotating said fan, a fan casing enclosing the fan having an inlet and oppositely positioned downwardly and laterally extending outlet conduits terminating above the machines for currents of air produced by the fan, and each of said conduits having at its end rigid means for directing a blast of air downwardly upon the sides of the machines therebeneath. of means for directing a blast of air transversely across the machines comprising a cuff of highly flexible material extending downwardly from one of said outlet conduits and provided with an inwardly curved end portion directed across the machine at a predetermined height.

2. The combination with a traveling cleaner, for blowing lint, dust, and other foreign particles from longitudinally alined machines having a trackway disposed above and longitudinally centrally of said machines, said cleaner having a motor driven carriage and fan with means operable by said motor for propelling the carriage along the trackway and for rotating said fan, a fan casing enclosing the fan havin an inlet and a pair of oppositely positioned downwardly and laterally extending rigid outlet conduits for currents of air produced by the fan, each of said conduits having at its end a nozzle for respectively directing blasts of air downwardly upon the side of the machine therebeneath, of means for directing blasts of air transversely across the machine comprising an inwardly curved cuff of highly flexible substantially impervious fabric extending downwardly and inwardly from each one of said outlet conduits at such predetermined height as to prevent deposition of lint and dust from accumulating on the material being processed by the machines.

3. A traveling cleaner, for blowing lint, dust, and other foreign particles from longitudinally alined machines having a trackway disposed above and longitudinally centrally-of said machines, said cleaner having a motor driven carotherwise would obstruct such transverse blasts.

,jof air. The cuff of flexible. material will yield upon impingement with any obstruction in its path such as the presence of an operator passing riage and fan with means operable by said motor for propelling the carriage along the trackway and for rotating said fan, a fan casing enclosing the fan having an inlet and oppositely positioned downwardly and laterally extending rigid outlet conduits for currents of air produced by the fan, each of said conduits having at its end a leading and a trailing nozzle one of which is of rigid material terminating above the machines for directing a blast of air therefrom downwardly upon the side of the machine therebeneath and the other of which is of greater length extending alongside the machine and of substantially impervious fabric having an inwardly curved, converging end portion for directing the blast of air therefrom transversely across the machine at a predetermined height and yieldable upon impingement with an obstruction in its path of travel. F

4. A traveling cleaner, for blowing lint, dust, and other foreign particles from longitudinally alined machines having a trackway disposed above and longitudinally centrally of said machines, said cleaner having a motor driven carriage and fan with means operable by said motor for propelling the carriage along the trackway and for rotating said fan, a fan casing enclosing the fan having an inlet and oppositely positioned downwardly and laterally extending outlet conduits for currents of air produced by the fan, each of said conduits having at its end a leading and a trailing nozzle one of which is of rigid material terminating above the machines for directing a blast of air therefrom downwardly upon the side of the machine therebeneath and the other of which is of greater length extending alongside the machines and of substantially impervious fabric having an inwardly curved, converging end portion for directing the blast of air therefrom transversely across the machine at a predetermined height and yieldable upon impingement with an obstruction in its path of travel, and means at the end of said cuif for retaining it in expanded position.

5. The combination with a traveling cleaner, for blowing lint, dust, and other foreign particles from longitudinally alined machines having a trackway disposed above and longitudinally centrally of said machines, said cleaner having a motor driven carriage and fan with means operable by said motor for propelling the carriage along the trackway and for rotating said fan, a fan casing enclosing the fan having an inlet and oppositely positioned downwardly and laterally extending outlet conduits for currents of air produced by the fan, of a leading and a trailing nozzle for each of said conduits, one of which nozzles is of rigid material fordirecting a blast of air therefrom downwardly upon the sides of the machines therebeneath and the other of which is provided with a downwardly extending cufl 01' substantially impervious fabric extending alongside the machines and has an inwardly curved, converging end portion for directing the blast of air therefrom transversely across the machines at a predetermined height and yieldable upon impingement with an obstruction in its path of travel, the end of said fabric out! being folded around and secured to a thin ring to retain it in expanded position.

6. The combination with a traveling cleaner, for blowing lint, dust, and other foreign particles from longitudinally alined machines'having a trackway disposed above and longitudinally centrally of said machines, said cleaner having a motor driven carriage and fan with means operable by said motor for propelling the carriage along the trackway and for rotating said fan, and a fan casing enclosing the fan having an inlet and oppositely positioned outlet conduits, of the construction in which the said conduits present *a rigid section terminating above the heads of the machine operators when standing, and in which the said conduits at each side are provided with a cuff of highly flexible material extending therefrom toward the machines to enable currents of air produced by the fan and discharged through the cuffs to be directed against the machines and the cufis to yield upon impingement with an operator or other obstruction in their path of travel.

GROVER B. HOLTZCLAW.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

